


Loose Ends

by DawnHawkes



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-23 01:08:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20883674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnHawkes/pseuds/DawnHawkes
Summary: A series of short writing drabbles from Ellemeare's past.





	1. Ghosts of the Past

Part I – Ghosts of the Past  
  
Working outside the Crystal Griffin was customary for shopkeeper Renelle Devereux. Her store; nestled in amongst the storefronts in Ishgard; could be described as her home as well as her job. However, Ren’s ‘job’ consisted of significant amounts of travel. Some of it was spent climbing over rocks and sifting through mines looking for new rock and mineral specimens or usable plants for herbs. The rest spent seeking out merchants to make purchases from. She had seen her fair share of Eorzea since she had opened the store, both the cities and the rural areas. Each location had its charm and held a special place in her heart; not only for its scenery but for its share of wonderful items to buy, sell, or collect.

It was business that had brought her to Kugane, their markets filled to the brim with obscure treasures she had never seen before, let alone sold. Renelle had hoped to foster good contacts with a few of the merchants in the city, though she still managed to fit in time for fun as well. One of her favorite things during her free time was to meander through the markets searching for things to add to her own collection, or for gifts to give to her adopted family. It was during one of these excursions that her trip took its turn.

The occasional solitude her career path afforded her was not bothersome, but a comfort. Living amongst her adopted family helped her to see that while she might be by herself, she was never truly ‘alone’. It helped that they were often chattering over the linkpearl in her ear. Discussions, amorous exchanges, or arguments; whatever the flavor of the day was. Renelle had become acclimated to the way things were. The time she had spent on her own had also taught her important life lessons, one being that a person could only hide from their past for so long. She had seen it several times with others in the past. You couldn’t run forever.

So when a fortune teller at a booth in Kugane pulled Ren aside and indicated that someone from her past was going to re-emerge, she was disappointed, but not entirely surprised.

At the time, Renelle had considered letting the others know that there might be trouble, but it was a thought that she’d quickly dismissed as she wandered the streets after the discussion with the old woman, considering the card reader’s words. Normally, such cautions could be cast aside as merely the words of a con-woman, but Renelle could feel a change in the narrative that was her life. She wasn’t concerned about what could happen; there was no panic in her heart or ice in her veins. More importantly, she knew that it was time to finally face these upcoming events on her own.

Ever since that day years earlier, when he’d come to Ishgard pressing for information of the potential whereabouts of Ellemeare Valastriehl, there had been a niggling feeling within her that this would not be their last encounter. Despite her warnings for him to stay out of it and mind his own business. Renelle had lead him to believe that she was merely guarding the Hyurian woman at the time; betraying nothing of the truth; and her warnings had been grave. But when had her father ever done anything that didn’t benefit himself?

_Father… if he could be called that._ She scoffed as she had thought this to herself, moving amongst the crowd after the old woman’s advice had been presented to her. The cautioning from the woman had occurred several days before now, and from that day forward she had become hyper-aware of every face; every person she came into contact with. The last few days in the city had been fruitless both for her business but also for finding any familiarity amongst the residents of Kugane. So she focused on what to do in the interim.

It was milling about in the small streets of Shirogane that she first caught sight of a face that she was acquainted with. However, it was not the man she had been expecting and avoiding for more than six years of her life. Instead, it was one of her father’s many cronies; the self-same man that had happened upon her in the marketplace in Ul’dah years ago. This man, who had led her to panic and was the instrument in the death of Renelle’s only friend at the time. Even now, the thought ran through her head. Had he not made his appearance, Alderic would still be alive.

Renelle hadn’t reacted to the sight of him outwardly, despite not knowing at first whether she had been seen. Waiting near a column in the small market district, she watched as the older gentleman spoke with a merchant, a picture tightly clutched in weathered hands. Ren had forgotten how long it had been; the man had aged significantly. There was more than a peppering of gray hair amongst the black hair on his head, thinning where he was beginning to go bald at the top. Yet she could tell by the way he held himself that he had maintained himself physically; a requirement to continue working for her father, no doubt. Yet she still knew him by sight, remembered the sneer on his face as he’d gripped her wrist and attempted to pull her away from the security of the Ul’dahn crowds. There was no question in her mind that the picture was of Ellemeare, or possibly even a more recent photograph of herself. Ren’s eyes narrowed as she watched him turn his back to her and make his way up the stairs towards the apartments rising up into the distance.  
  
If she had the presence of mind to bring her bow that day, it would have been easy to put an arrow in him, to fell him with his back to her like that, but then that would have brought the wrath of the Sekiseigumi down upon her. That would have been trouble that even her adopted family’s money would not have been able to save her from. She didn’t need a fortune teller to predict where he was headed and what would happen. The ‘hunter’ would find what he was looking for, a currently abandoned apartment room. He would lie in wait, hoping to catch her unawares. With all the cards laid before her, Renelle could see all the options she had in taking care of the situation. Telling her family was one such option; as was running away. Both considerations were discarded.

As she watched him with those brilliant blue-green eyes, gaze on his back as he ascended the shallow steps of Shirogane, Renelle reached up and turned off her linkpearl.

_I warned him years ago in Ishgard. I am not the timid little mouse he knew so many years ago in my youth. I am no longer the uncontrollable blaze that is more likely to burn myself alive. Let him settle in to wait for me, there is nowhere in that apartment for him to hide._

_I warned you, father, about playing with matches._


	2. Even

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violent content and adult language

Part II - Even

She could sense he was there even though it was hard to see in the almost pitch black of the room. Only a hint of moonlight peeking through the shuttered windows threw any light on the large open space. Pushing the door shut behind her, Ren stared into the darkness as her eyes adjusted. Stepping slowly into the room, the tatami mat muffled the sound of her footsteps and allowed her to strain her hearing to pick up any other movement, which she immediately detected somewhere off to her left. Renelle kept her pace slow and her body relaxed; attempting to appear as if she did not expect trouble. Reaching for a nearby lamp on a table, she stiffened faintly when a strong arm wrapped about her upper torso and she caught glimpse of the flash of a blade in the weak light.

It occurred to her that in the past she would have been panicked and fearful; it was odd to her that now she felt none of those things, only a seething anger that writhed beneath the surface and made the air about her thick with ozone.

“You’re coming with me, sweetheart.” She could hear the grin in his voice as he said it. Triumphant, even though the battle had barely begun. Renelle resisted the urge to smirk.

You always were good at underestimating your opponent.

“You think so, huh?”

Ren supposed he’d expected her to beg, plead or cry; as he merely grunted a response to her question. Doing the last thing he would have anticipated, she suddenly leaned forward. This caused all her weight to shift, throwing the man behind her off balance. Reeling suddenly backward, she employed one of the early tactics that she had been taught, using the back of her head as a weapon against the man’s face. A mild grin of satisfaction curved the corner of her mouth as the man staggered and spat obscenities.

“You stupid bitch, you broke my fucking nose!”

Unaffected by the man’s words, Renelle gave him a shrug in response before dodging him as he swung the dagger he now brandished. “You broke into my home, I think that serves you right.”

The man snarled wordlessly and charged at her, lashing out as Renelle endeavored to avoid the blade, plotting her move. Fire in this apartment would have been a bad plan, she knew that before she even walked into this. So much of the apartment was flammable; from the ornamental paper screen that hid her sleeping area to the tatami mats beneath her feet. Ren gritted her teeth and drew a hiss of breath between them when he slashed and caught the collar of her favorite kimono and a hint of skin beneath that. It was merely a flesh wound, she’d received as much during training, but it still stung. As he punctuated the hit with a sound of satisfaction, her eyes narrowed. The hunter made another wide swipe with the dagger, aiming for Ren’s midsection, and she saw her only chance at the possibility of disarming him. Moving her hands rapidly, she gripped his wrist with the right, using her left to twist as she tried to wrestle the blade free. Her upper body strength was not nearly what his was, and she could feel him resisting as she wrung his wrist. When the attacker lost his grip on the blade and it hit the mat-covered floor, her focus went to kicking it out of the way. Little did she know he had plans of his own; using her moment of distraction; brought his balled fist around to connect with her face.

Renelle spun and slammed into a piece of furniture, stars spinning in her vision. He caught her by the throat with both hands and began to tighten his grip. Recalling what she’d practiced, she dropped her chin and grabbed both of his wrists, tugging him as hard as she could towards him while bringing her knee up to make contact with his balls.

The man let her go with a yowl of surprised anger and pain, clutching his goods. Using all of her weight, she gripped him by the shoulder and shoved, sending him sprawling to the floor. Opponent down for the moment, Ren scanned the floor for the dagger and made for it. However, just as her hand wrapped around the handle, fingers tangled into her long dark hair and yanked. No amount of training could have prepared her completely for a real fight, and she scrambled mentally for her next move as he used her hair to drag her across the floor. There was no way she could stab him, there was too much distance between them for her to do anything more than nick him. Instead, she turned the blade upon herself, gripping her hair just below where he held it and bringing the sharp edge upward to cut herself free. Not expecting this, he stumbled backwards before recovering quickly, catching the hand that held the blade before Renelle was able to use it against him. They struggled for the weapon, knocking over a vase in the process, water pooling across the floor.

If the scuffle and the swearing hadn’t alerted authorities, the crash and shatter of the porcelain decoration would have. She was racing the clock now. There was little she could do to get the dagger away from him, what with her on the floor and him above her, his strength so much more than her own. The dagger was pointed down at her, and so she closed her eyes and just aimed the dagger at a non-vital area, loosening her grip. Gritting her teeth as the dagger sunk into her shoulder to keep from giving him the satisfaction of hearing her pain, she punched him in the side of the head with all of her might, sending him sprawling. Distance between them once more, Ren dragged herself to rest behind the paper screen, pulling the blade from her wound and trying to catch her breath, ignoring the blood that was dampening the front of her damaged kimono and the puddle of water that was spreading across the tatami, slow to soak into its tightly woven fibers.

“There’s nowhere to hide here, bitch.” The man growled angrily.

Ironic that she’d thought the same thing when she knew he was coming here. She listened to his footsteps coming nearer. She was beginning to run out of ideas when an idea occurred to her. Closing her eyes a moment, she focused only on her emotions, her palm feeling cold as a spire of ice formed, growing long and pointed at its end. Then she waited.

He gave her the opportunity she had been hoping for, stepping around the screen to grab her just as she lunged at his legs, large icicle she created with her magic clutched in her hand. She felt the flesh of his calf give way to the sharp point of the frozen make-shift weapon. The man screamed out in pain and struck with a clenched fist, backhanding her and bloodying Ren’s lip. Her vision spun again, but Renelle did all she could to force herself to stay conscious.

“Stupid bitch…” He rasped. “Your father wanted you alive. Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission… wouldn’t you say?” He bent to retrieve the dagger, discarded on the floor where she’d left it.

Renelle drew a deep breath, once more mentally scrambling for a toe-hold in the fight. She had known when she came here that things could go sideways, and yet she’d come alone anyway. Partially to fight her own battles, but also to make a point to herself. Ren’s gaze went to the floor, the man’s sandaled foot standing in the puddle of water made by the broken vase, and then she shifted her attention to the man’s face one last time.

“Goodbye.”

The confusion that crossed the man’s face quickly gave way to an expression of twisted pain as Renelle set her hand into the water and let loose the last bit of power she had in the form of a high voltage charge of electric energy. All of her hatred in one blast. The man’s body wrenched and then crumbled to the floor, twitching as remnants of electricity danced along the dead man’s nerves.

Ren drew upon the vigor she had to drag herself over to her medicine chest, sifting through it until she found her last remaining healing potion. It wouldn’t completely mend her wounds, but it would give her the necessary strength to do what needed to be done. Downing the contents, she made her way over to the body and searched it until she found what she was looking for. Scrawled on a piece of paper, an address in Kugane.

She stared at it for a moment, then stuffed it into the folds of her spoiled and blood stained garment. There was still work to be done, and quickly, before the authorities burst into the room.

Time to finish this.


	3. Unbound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Violent content and adult language

Part III – Unbound

There was something amiss with the chambers when he entered, but it took a moment to realize what it was. The lamps in the office were dimly lit, and his desk chair had been turned around facing out of the great window, looking out onto the city. Making his way over to the chair, he turned it, unsure of what to expect. His stomach churned when he looked down upon the sight of one of his associates lying limp in the place he typically did business, mouth slack open and sightless, bulging eyes staring at him.

Thornwood took a step back, letting out a quiet string of foul language.

“I warned you in Ishgard.”

The businessman whirled around and glowered at her, a mix of fear and anger on his face. “You stupid…”

“I’ve been called that enough tonight, thank you. I’m leaving this as a gift. Leave me alone. This ends now, Thornwood.”  
  


“You come here to make threats?”

“More a promise. Continue your pursuit of Ellemeare Valastriehl or of me, and I will bring the fight straight to you. A body count will certainly draw attention to some of your less savory dealings. Can’t be good for business. This will end one of two ways, Thornwood. Either you will let the past lie and continue on your merry way; or I will destroy you and everything you attempt to stand for. I warned you once in Ishgard to let it drop. Consider this your second warning. I won’t give you a third. And as I’m sure you can see, I’m no one to be trifled with.”

“I am your father, Ellemeare.”

The woman shook her head, her countenance expressionless safe for the hatred burning in those blue-green eyes. “Hardly. And as for Ellemeare, the girl you knew does not exist anymore. She is far beyond your control and I intend to keep it that way.”

“I know who you are! I can prove it! I can expose you! I could give your information to the Sekiseigumi! I could report you for what you’ve done to this man!”

“But you won’t. Exposing me and reporting this assassin’s death will only bring more attention to yourself, especially given the fact that the man before you legally doesn’t exist anymore. How many times has he changed aliases over the years to avoid the law? Being associated with him wouldn’t do you any good. The one thing anyone can always count on you for, is your interest in self-preservation. Leave me alone, Thornwood. Ellemeare is dead, and I am not likely to be as forgiving as she would have been. This is my final warning and your last chance.”

With those words, she disappeared out the window onto the rooftops of Kugane. The businessman took one last look at the dead man in his desk chair before activating his linkpearl.

“Get in here.” He paused while there was response on the other end. “No. No. Don’t go after her. From now on, your orders are to stay away from her, do you understand me? If she reports us, we’re finished.”

Thornwood wiped sweat from his brow and rested against the desk, unwilling to admit that he had been hiding a fearful tremble from the moment he’d heard her voice. She was right. The girl he’d known and manipulated for so many years was gone; and what had replaced her was more frightening than the fire-starting child could have ever been.

She was right about another thing, too. Self-preservation was always at the forefront of his mind and everything he did. And he knew now; as he watched some of his men carry away the dead body of his best operative; that tangling with her again would mean his death.


End file.
